


Tombstones Deal

by AlissaShawWrites



Series: Tombstone's Deal [1]
Category: Spider-Man (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Chains, F/M, Hurt Peter Parker, Implied/Referenced Torture, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, References to Drugs, Starvation, Villains to Heroes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2019-12-19
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:09:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21827995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlissaShawWrites/pseuds/AlissaShawWrites
Summary: Tombstone is out of the city for a deal with some gang he never heard of. They bored him until they made an offer. An offer they thought he couldn't refuse. And suddenly he had blood on his hands and shaking, fearful  Spider-Man sitting in the passenger seat next to him.
Relationships: Peter Parker/Mary Jane Watson
Series: Tombstone's Deal [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1658443
Comments: 17
Kudos: 103





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I had this dream like a month ago and had to write it, and it's been killing me slowly ever since.

Spider-Man had been missing for over a month. Long enough that Tombstone had stopped counting. It almost didn't bother him because it meant less worry about running his business, but it wasn't like Spider-Man to just leave. It was almost unsettling. If there had been a body, at least then there wouldn't be this mystery lingering in everyone's mind.

His especially. It wasn't that he liked the bug-themed hero, but he didn't exactly hate him either. He made work interesting and kept him on his toes. He had to admit, he missed the hero a little. 

He pushed that out of his mind, focusing on the unfamiliar streets in the small town he was currently speeding through. He was hours out of the city on a business trip. At least that's what he called it. Some 'up and coming' gang trying to be the next Demons or Maggia group. They promised him the deal of a lifetime and; as dumb as that is, he took the bait out of morbid curiosity. 

The car skidded to a stop outside of an abandoned-looking house. Not where these deals usually took place but what did that matter? He was in it for the money, not an office space. 

Tombstone didn't bother knocking; instead, announcing his entrance by walking in and setting off every alarm they had. He heard the bullets fly and rolled his eyes. How unoriginal. 

"Christ, it's you," one short and pudgy man in a black suit said from the back of the room. Once the initial fear drained from his face, he threw on a smug smile. An act Tombstone had seen before. "Sorry for my men ruining your jacket. I'll make sure to arrange for it to be patched. Or a new one if you'd prefer." 

“Forget it,” he sighed. “Get to the reason I’m here. You’re asking for thousands of dollars worth of shit”

“I know the price, but money is only so important. I have something more important than that.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it.”

“Follow me.” The cocky man nodded towards a staircase leading down to the basement. 

Tombstone complied and followed him down the rickety stairs. “This better be worth my trip out here. I’ve been driving for hours.”

“Oh, it will be,” the shorter man assured him. 

The basement was a far cry from the upstairs. It had been turned into what looked like some sort of secret base. The walls were covered in metal plating and there were incredibly small areas blocked off with thick steel walls and doors. Tombstone had to admit that it was impressive. 

“What the fuck are you storing down here?”

The man punched in a code on one of the doors. The door swung open with an extremely loud scrape against the metal floor. There was a boy inside who flinched violently at the sound. He was practically skin and bones; the chains holding him to the chair were almost too big now to serve their original purpose. He was shivering; whether out of fear or because he was practically naked in a freezing basement, it didn’t really matter. The fresh blood on his face from a few cuts and obviously broken nose masked almost all of his features. 

“What the hell?” Tombstone found himself asking. “Is this what you consider better than money? You must either be out of your fucking mind or suicidal, bringing me here for this.”

He did notice the way the boy seemed to shrink when he heard his voice. It only made sense of course. Even if the boy didn’t know who he was, after all, he’s been through, hearing and seeing a man whose physical appearance just screamed ‘violent supervillain’ would probably be enough to terrify anyone. 

“Now, I know it doesn’t look like much but you haven’t let me explain yet.” He walked over to the poor quivering boy and grabbed his chin roughly. Tombstone easily put together where some of the kids’ cuts and scrapes came from when he saw the monstrosity the so-called ‘boss’ wore as a ring. “Come on kid,” he spoke in a condescending tone. “Show our guest some respect. Introduce yourself.”

When he didn’t respond, he knocked the kids head into the back of the chair and gripped his hair tightly in his fist so he was forced to look up at Tombstone. There was something more than fear in his eyes that Tombstone couldn't place. But as soon as he noticed, the kid closed his eyes, swallowing painfully as his breathing became more rigid than it already was. 

"Since I wouldn't expect you to know what his face looks like, I'll just tell you who he is. This is our dear friend Spider-Man." 

Tombstones heart sunk at those words. There was no way right? 

At the mention of the superhero, the kid tried to sink even further into his seat to no avail. 

“There’s no way that’s Spider-Man,” Tombstone scoffed. 

“Why don’t you tell him? No? Still so rude to our guest.” He dropped the kids’ head and strutted over to a blood-stained desk with various blood-covered instruments. How long had he been kept here for those wounds to have healed? "Well, when we," he chuckled maliciously. "Picked him up, he was wearing this." From a drawer, he pulled out a torn and bloodied Spider-Man suit. It was definitely the real deal and not some costume. Tombstone could tell without even a second glance. 

"How the fuck did you manage to take him down?" 

"Now that's a secret I need to keep. For now of course. Part of the package deal. You supply the Grave Dust, and you can have your greatest enemy for; well, whatever purpose you like. Already broken and ready to receive any punishment you see fit. Oh, and just to make it a little better. We've done our research. His name is Peter Parker." 

He produced a large file from the same drawer and threw it to Tombstone. "Everything you need to know about him is in there. His name, social insurance number, home address, job, family; at least what's left of it." 

Once again he took the boy’s hair in his tight grip and pulled so he was forced to look up at Tombstone. Their eyes met, and neither dared blink. "Anything you'd like to say, Mr. Parker?" 

Parker tried to speak but all that came out was a raspy, desperate choke. He hadn't spoken in days, clearly, and who knew when he had his last drink of water. After swallowing a few times, he tried again. His eyes still focused on Tombstones. "Lonnie, please." 

That was it. No quips. No one-liners. Just a quiet and broken plea. 

“Pathetic isn’t he? Wow, I almost wasn’t expecting that. Imagine, asking one of your enemies to rescue you. Well anyway, I think I’ve made my point. Do we have a deal?”

Tombstone looked between the man’s outstretched hand; waiting to be shaken, and the kids face. Suddenly he was very glad he came. Slowly he walked over to the man. With every step, the kid flinched and avoided eye contact, bracing for anything Tombstone might do. 

He wasn’t the one who needed to worry about that.

“You know,” Tombstone began. “I don’t know how his other enemies would react, but I’m pretty sure I know why he would ask me to help.”

The man’s smile faltered. “And, um, why would that be?”

“Because he knows there’s a pretty good chance of me helping.” Tombstone was right on the man now; glaring down at him.

“W-why would you help him?” With every passing second, the fear in his eyes grew.

“Because why not?” Tombstone easily threw the man into the opposing wall. “I would spend more time screwing with you; maybe give you a taste of your own medicine, but I don’t think the bug will live long enough for me to do that, so you’re lucky.”

He could hear the fast footsteps of the others who no doubt heard the commotion. He turned his attention to the kid who’s real name he already couldn’t remember. “I’ll be back. And if you’re going to beg me not to kill them, I’m not going to listen so don’t waste your breath.” He didn’t look like he was in any position to argue even if he wanted to. 

He made quick work of the wannabe gang, starting with the no-longer overconfident boss before returning to the holding chamber. The kid was pulling on his bindings desperately, trying to get free. “Stop,” Tombstone told him. “You’re just hurting yourself more.” There was a new gleam of red from his wrists where he had cut himself, trying to break free. 

He was desperate; that much was obvious. “Here.” Careful not to do any more damage to the kid, he pulled the chains apart, then the other one, then the ones holding his legs in place. “How bruised is your ego? Enough that I can carry you out of here without a fight?”

He tried to clear his throat, “y-yeah.”

Tombstone picked the kid up as carefully as possible and carried him out to the car; trying to ignore every whimper and gasp of pain that escaped his lips with every slight movement. "How the fuck did you end up like this?" He buckled him up, took off his jacket, placed it around his shivering frame, and closed the door then got in the driver's side and sped down the road. 

"They knew my weakness," he sobbed. 

"Alright, relax. Let's get you something to eat. This is worse than the last time I found you starving." 

He grunted and sunk in his seat; streaking the window with blood. "S-sorry," he whispered in a voice even weaker than before. "S-sorry. I ruined your window." 

He was shaking even harder and almost seemed to be expecting some form of punishment. There were fresh tears falling down his cheeks and even Tombstone felt his heart aching for the kid. “It’s fine. This old girl has seen way worse than a bit of blood.”

The weeping calmed slightly but the trembling didn’t. 

Over a hill, Tombstone saw the golden arches of a McDonald’s sign. “Perfect. Let’s get you some water. I know you’re hungry but if you start eating too fast, you’ll only end up feeling worse."

The kid made some sort of sad squeak that made Tombstone look over. He was trying to speak again but he couldn't get it out. "Let me get you some water. Stop trying to hurt yourself worse." 

He went through the drive-thru getting a few bottles, before throwing the first bill in his wallet at the terrified girl in the window. "Dammit, that was a fifty," he mumbled under his breath. 

He cracked open one of the bottles open; knowing that the kid wouldn’t be able to on his own. He sipped at the water as soon as it was in his hands. “Better?” 

“Yeah.” he nodded. “Better.”

Tombstone went back to focusing on driving; not worrying about the boy beside him, who was starting to regain some colour. 

He wasn’t expecting any conversation, but once the first bottle was downed, he heard a slightly less grainy voice whisper, “why did you help me?”

It caught him off guard. “Uh.”

When he glanced over, the kid was eyeing him warily. “Why- Why did you help me, Lonnie? You could have had everything you ever wanted.” He coughed; spitting blood into his hands. “You-You had money, they wanted to buy out your entire stock of Grave Dust.”

“I-”

“You could have gotten rid of me.”

“And why do you think that’s one of the things I want?”

“W-what?” His eyes grew wider. “Why-Why wouldn’t you? I’ve ruined your drug trades, and-and I’ve sent you to jail.”

He kept rambling on about the various reasons the villain might want him dead. Tombstone listened but let his mind wander. Despite the fact that all of the proof had been in front of him; he hadn’t believed that this kid was Spider-Man until it came out of the kid’s mouth. 

“It’s more fun having something to fight against,” he started just to cut the kids mumbling off. “I don’t know shit about bein’ a hero, but bein’ a villain is only fun if someones trying to stop you. If no ones there to stop you, it’s basically like it’s legal.”

That was his excuse and it was a good one, but once he looked down at him again, he sighed. “But,” he continued; even shocking himself. “I also don’t like seein’ shit like what they did to you. I’m a simple man. If you’re gonna kill someone, you do it. You don’t play with ‘em like that.”

“S-Stop the car.”

“Why?”

“Lonnie, stop the car.” 

He said it with enough authority, that Tombstone decided to listen. He pulled the car over to the side of the road but the kid scrambled out before the car even stopped moving. He dropped to his knees in a mix of dry heaving and sobbing. 

Tombstone got out of the car and walked around towards the shuddering mess and offered another bottle which the boy gladly accepted, and downed. “That-that hurts. It hurts Lonnie.”

“I know kid,” he patted his back. “I know.”

After a bit more heaving and whimpering, he calmed down and let Tombstone put him back in the passenger seat where he played with frays on Tombstones jacket. “Lonnie?”

“Yeah, kid?”

“Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it. Once we get back to New York, and to a hospital, you-”

“No hospital.”

“Yes, a hospital.”

“I’ll heal on my own. I always do.”

“This is more than just a broken leg and a bruised ego.”

“Can-Can we meet in the middle then?”

“Depends on what the middle is.”

“You leave me with my girlfriend and she can help me.”

Tombstone smirked. “Oh, you’ve got a girlfriend huh? Fine. I guess we can do that. Her taking you to the hospital would probably go way better than me dragging your sorry ass in there. You know her number?”

“Uh-huh.”

He tossed his phone at the boy, who normally would have caught it. This time; however, he flinched and let it fall into his lap. “S-Sorry. A little- I’m just a little jumpy.”

“I know.”

He dialled MJ’s number, already feeling the tears build up in his eyes. He had thought about her so many times in those days. In those weeks. “Hello? Mary Jane Watson, who’s calling?”

“MJ,” his voice cracked. “MJ it’s me.”

“Peter? OH MY GOD! PETER WHERE ARE YOU?! ARE YOU OKAY?! I’VE BEEN SO WORRIED!”

“It’s okay. I’m coming home. A friend is bringing me home. I’ll explain later.” It was obvious she was crying too and the chatter that was in the background when she first picked up had gone silent. “Are you at the Bugle?”

“No. No, I’m at the police station. I’ve been here- oh my god, I’ve been here every day trying to help find you. I’ve followed every lead and looked everywhere. I couldn’t- I was so scared I lost you.”

“I’m coming home. I’ll come to your apartment. The alley outback.” He looked back up at Tombstone. “How long?”

“Still a while. You’re a long way out of New York. Two, maybe two and a half hours.”

“Two hours MJ. I’ll be there soon.”

“Stay on the line with me. Please, Peter. I have to hear your voice.” 

When he looked up at Tombstone he whispered, “can I?” in a very quiet and fearful tone.

“Go for it, kid. I’m not much for conversation anyway. Just make sure she doesn’t bring any of those cop friends around to pick you up.”

The kid smiled. Even through the bloodstains on his face and teeth; it was still a bright and of so cheerful smile. There was a newfound light in his eyes and Tombstone could see that spark that the boy usually had returning to his attitude. 

“Just keep talking to her, kid.”

And so he did. All two hours and forty-six minutes it took them to get home.


	2. Chapter 2

"There's only one cop, I promise. Captain Watanabe. But it's only because she drove me here. She's two streets away so whoever is driving you doesn't have to worry okay?" 

Tombstone had listened to their entire conversation and at this point; was just excited to get the kid out of his car. There was only so much gushy, romance crap he could deal with. 

"Lonnie is-is that okay? One cop who drove my girlfriend. She won't see you there." 

He thought about it for a moment. He wasn't exactly scared of the cops but he didn't want to be seen as the unexpected hero of the situation. "Fine." No one would see him anyway except maybe the kids’ girlfriend. 

"Thank you." 

He pulled the car onto the alleyway and there was only one woman, standing there on the phone. She looked hesitant to approach the car with tinted windows, bullet holes and rust. "I'm here, MJ." 

At that, she ran up to the car and opened the passenger side door. "Peter," she whimpered, pulling him in for a hug. "Can you walk?" 

"Maybe now. I-I do feel stronger now. Good thing I heal fast huh?" 

She pulled back from the hug and placed a gentle hand on his cheek. "God, what happened to you?" 

It seemed like that was the moment she registered Tombstones presence and her jaw dropped. "T-Tombstone?" 

He nodded.

"It's okay MJ," the kid assured her. "He's the reason I'm here." 

Her eyes never left him; as if, if she even blinked he would hurt them. "He is?" 

"Yeah. He saved me. Trust me, I was confused too but-" 

"Thank you." She was thanking him. Never in his life had he been thanked so much for anything. "Thank you for bringing him back." 

She was tearing up again and Tombstone almost couldn't stand it. "It's fine but get him out of here. He needs a hospital." 

"Right." She nodded. "Come on Peter." 

Carefully she helped him out of the car, carrying most of his weight because he clearly couldn't. "You're so light. Come on. Let's get to Captain Watanabe’s car. Thank you again, Tombstone." 

Peter leaned into her, with his head resting on her shoulder. His eyes were closed and there was a soft smile on his lips. "Mmm-bye, Lonnie." 

Tombstone sped down the road, letting the door slam shut from the force. He couldn't hear another 'thank you' or look at that innocent face covered in dried blood. He hated that face. The hollow eyes, the tears. He preferred the mask. 

The next time he saw the kid he was back in the mask again. Months had passed. Six if not more by the time they made contact. 

It was a quiet night in the city as the first snow of the season drifted gently through the streets. Tombstone found himself enjoying a glass of whiskey in the open garage of his shop when that mask appeared in the open door frame; looking down on him from above. “Hey, Lonnie.” He wasn’t nearly as confident as usual; though that was understandable.

“Spider-Man,” he grunted. “You’ve got nothing to arrest me for this time. Haven’t commit one crime you can actually pin on me in a while.”

“That’s not,” he sighed. “I’m not here for that.”

“Just out for a late-night walk through the back alleys then?”

“Actually I’m here to give you this back.” His arm dropped to show off the jacket he had taken all that time back. “I don’t know if you want it back or not. There’s a lot of holes and blood. Then I tried to wash it but apparently, I don’t know how a washing machine works and I kind of; maybe, accidentally dyed some of it red. Well pink; you know, because it thins out to pink.”

“Keep it, kid. I have lots.”

“Cool, cool.”

“I know that’s not all you’re here for. That’s just some shit excuse you came up with to come find me.”

He dropped to his feet and sighed. “No; of course it’s not the only reason I’m here.”

“Listen, before you get into that mushy crap, it’s fine, you’re welcome, don’t mention it, now shut the fuck up.”

“I know you don’t like talking about stuff like that, but I really do have to thank you. I-I really don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t been there that day. All of my other enemies would have; you know what? I actually don’t want to know what they would have done. And I wouldn’t have survived there much longer. I was just a pawn to get what they wanted from you. They wanted me dead and expected you to either keep their sick game going or just off me once you shook his hand.

“I heard them talk about it. The ways they’d kill me and the things they wanted to see you do to me.” He shuddered at the thought. “I thought you were gonna do it you know." 

"Oh yeah?" He leaned back in his seat with a sneer on his face. "Have no faith in me?" 

"I couldn't read your expression." He leaned on the wall with his arms crossed and eye shutters focused on the snow-covered ground. When you first walked in you looked disgusted, kind of angry. But that was at him. When he told you who I was, you almost looked like you… I don't know. It was like you were sad? Upset? So… I was hopeful that if I begged, you'd listen. But then you got close to him and kept staring at me and… you were smiling. I couldn't read it. And I was scared." 

Tombstone closed his eyes and took a very long, deep breath. "Must have been scary." 

"It was." He nodded. "I was scared. It's not often I get that scared." 

"Why are you telling me this, kid? I would have thought you'd want to hide that. At least from your enemies." 

"Can-can I be honest?" 

"I ain't goin’ to stop you."

He pressed his back flat against the cold brick wall and took a few deep breaths. “I just want closure and telling you this makes me feel like maybe I can have some. That it actually happened. It all just feels like a bad dream and if it weren’t for the new scars; I would have believed it. A dream. Nothing more.”

“Isn’t that better?”

“It should be. Pretend it never happened… but I can’t. It’ll just haunt me.”

Tombstone didn’t know how to respond so he didn’t. Instead, letting Spider-Man think.

“Are they dead? All of them?”

He took a long sip of his drink. “Yeah. I better not hear you bitch about it.”

“I won’t. I shouldn’t say this but I’m really glad. They all knew who I was and the things they wanted to do to me makes me feel sick to think about. If they were still out there…”

“Well, they won’t bother you anymore.”

“And you know the real me now.”

“Not really.”

“What?”

“I never read that file. It doesn’t matter who’s on the other side of that mask. But if it’ll make you feel better-” He stood up and walked over to a safe under his desk. When he opened it; he produced the same file that had been given to him by the boss. “I went back to get it after I dropped you off at your girlfriends’ place. I should’a grabbed it before we left but I was pretty sure you were going to die if I didn’t get you out.”

The eye shutters widened in surprise. “You went back for this?” The seel on the envelope was untouched. “And you didn’t read it?”

“Not a word.”

He ripped it open and read through some of the documents. “They weren’t lying. They have everything on me.”

“You better get rid of it then. Wanna burn it?”

“I can’t just-”

Tombstone had already gotten up and pulled a garbage can from the alleyway closer to the door. He took a match out of his pocket and threw it in. Soon the contents of the can were engulfed in flames. “There. Whenever you’re ready.”

Spider-Man held the file over the flames for a few long seconds before letting it fall into the fire. He took a long, deep breath. “That feels better.”

Tombstone poured another glass of whiskey and held it out to the hero. “Cheers.”

“Cheers.”

**Author's Note:**

> I might do a quick second chapter that takes place a few months after (or even a few days after) if anyone wants that. So, you know, let me know if you're interested.


End file.
